Chester ball



.3 SheetsSheet 1. (LBALL. GATE.

(No Model.)

No. 603,168. Patented Apr. 26, 1898.

WITNESSES q/ (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

S 0. BALL.

GATE.

I No. 60 3,163. Patented Apr. 26,1898,

WITNESSES (No Modgl.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 O.BALL. GATE}. No. 603,163. Patented Apr. 26,1898.

TTEE.

WITNESSES- I v UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

CHESTER BALL, OF BELLEVILLE, KANSAS.

G ATE.

SPEQIFICATION' fOrming part Of Letters Patent No. 603,163, dated April 26, 18 98.

' Application filed September 10, 1897. $eria1No. 651,201. (No model.)

To, all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER BALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belleville, in the county of Republic and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make anduse' the same.

My invention relates to improvements in farm and other gates; and its object is to provide an improved construction of down-tilting gate; and to this end the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, and specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate embodying my invention, the gate being shown open. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the gate closed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 4, a part end elevational and part sectional view of the gate, showing the gate closed and representing by broken lines the position of the gate when open; Fig. 5, an enlarged detail view of one of the gate-hinges; Fig. 6, a detail of the latch-hook which holds the gate open. Figs. 7 and 8 are views illustrating details of construction. Figs. 9 and 10 represent an inner side and end elevational view of one of the gate-posts, showing the lever for opening the gate. Fig.11 is a detail sectional view showing a slightly different manner of mounting the pulleys 16.

. Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 1 2 represent the gateposts, and 34 represent, respectively, a short pivot-post located between said gate-posts and a short latch-post located at oneside of the gateway in line with the gate-post 2, as shown.

The gate 5 is hung at its lower end to the,

gate-posts and pivot-post 3 by the hinges 6, so as to tilt down at one side of the gateway in suchmanner as toform a bridge-or gangway over which pedestrians and vehicles travel in passing through the gateway.

. In practice the gate will be made strong and durable enough to withstand the strain of a loaded team passing thereover, and preferably willbe constructed of horizontal board rails 7, bolted or otherwise firmly secured to vertical pickets or connecting-bars 8, the top and bottom' rails being beveled at their outer edges, soas to offer no obstruction to the mounting of vehicle-wheels thereon. Each hinge 6 comprises a knuckle member 6, formed at its lower end with an elongated or loop-shaped knuckle or socket 6 and a pintle member 6, bifurcated at one end for the reception of said knuckle and having the arms of said bifurcation formed with eyes for the reception of a pintle 6 This form of hinge enables the gate both to tilt downward and have slight vertical movement in closing, also to yield or give slightly without injury to the parts when a vehicle mounts the same.

9 represents a latch-lever pivoted to the gate and connected to the two latch-bolts 10, which are adapted to be projected to engage the keepers 11 on the gate-posts to hold the gate closed; By operating this lever the bolts may be projected or retracted, as will be readily understood.

One of the rails 7 is cut, out in line with the" latch-lever, as at 7 so that a person approaching the gate upon the opposite side from that passed therethrough and fitted with a nut 13.

To the eye of each bolt is attached one end of a spiral spring 14, the opposite end of which is connected with one end of a cord, rope, or cable 15, which passes around pul leys 16 on the gate-posts and has its opposite spring 19. The head of the latchhook is curved, so that the gate in opening will ride upon the same and force the latch back until the gate has passed below the hook thereof, when the spring 19 throws it into operative position to hold the gate open. A rope 17 is connected at one end to the latch-hook and extends to the opposite side of the gate, so that the latch-hook may be operated by a person on that side of the gate. By means of the eyebolts and the nuts thereon the tension of springs may be varied by adjusting the bolts in either direction.

For swinging the gate downwardly one of the end pickets or connecting-bars 8 is provided with a groove or trackway 20, in which runs a friction-roller 21, journaled in a yoke in the lower end of a bar 22, located on the inner side of the gate-post 1, and this bar is rigidly connected with the horizontal arm 23 of an L-shaped lever 23, which projects through a transverse orifice in said post and bearing-plates 2i. The arm 23 of said lever is arranged on the outer side of the post 1 and forms a handle whereby the gate may be tilted downward and opened. \Vhen the gate is closed, the bar 22 assumes a vertical position and the lever-handle 23 a horizontal position, as will be readily understood.

In operation when it is desired to open the gate the attendant (if it be a railroad or other gate having an attendant) operates the latchlever 9, disengages the latch-bolts 10 from their keepers, and swings the gate downwardly through the medium of arm 23 of lever 23 until it engages and is retained in its lowered position by the latchhook 17. After the pedestrian or vehicle has passed through the gateway the gate is released by the attendant operating the latch-hook through the medium of the rope 17. \Vhen the gate is used as a farm-gate and a vehicle approaches from the direction in which the gate opens, the latter is opened as above described. After the vehicle has passed therethrough the latch-hook 17 is released without using the rope to accomplish the same. \Vhen the vehicle approaches in the opposite direction, the driver inserts his hand through the opening 7 in rail 7, retracts the bolts, and swings the gate downwardly. The latch-hook is operated after the vehicle has passed through the gateway by the rope 17. It will be understood that instead of the rope a lever might be used for operating the latch-hook to release the gate and permit the latter to be closed by the device provided for that purpose.

It will be seen from the above description that myimproved gate maybe used either as a farm-gate or as a railway or other gate having an attendant.

I desire it understood that I do not limit my invention to the specific construction of parts herein shown and described, but reserve to myself the right to make such changes and modifications as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. In gates, the combination of the gateposts carrying latch-keepers, a gate hinged to said posts to tilt down and rest upon the surface of the ground, an eyebolt on each fence-post contiguous to said gate-posts, a spring attached to the eye of each bolt, a cord, rope or cable connected at one end with said spring passed around pulleys on the gateposts and connected at its other end with the gate, whereby the gate is adapted to close antoinatically, and a latch device to hold the gate open against the tension of said springs, substantially as described.

2. In a gate, the combination of the gateposts, a gate hinged thereto at its lower end to tilt down and rest upon the surface of the ground, said gate having an end picket or bar provided with a trackway, a bar carrying a frictional roller traversing said trackway, an L-shaped lever having one arm thereof passed through an opening in one of the gate-posts and connected with said bar and its other end arranged to form a handle, and means for antomatically closing the gate after passage of a person or vehicle thereover, substantiallyas described.

3. In gates, the combination of the gateposts,the fence-posts adjacent thereto,a latchpost on one side of the gateway in line with one of the gate-posts, a gate hinged to said gate-posts and adapted to tilt down in opening and rest upon the surface of the ground, a spring-actuated latch on said latch-post adapted to engage the gate and hold it open, springs connected with the fence-posts, and cords or cables connecting the said springs and gate, substantially as described.

4. In a gate, the combination with the posts carrying hinge members formed with elongated loops, of a downwardly-tiltin g gate having hinge members consisting of plates bifurcated to receive the loops of the hinge members carried by the posts, and carrying pintles which move in said loops, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHESTER BALL.

\Vitnesses:

C. 0. WILSON, WM. WALKER. 

